View full sizeMaxine Bernstein/The OregonianThe robbery occurred at Central Drugs at Southwest Fourth Avenue and Alder Street about 1 p.m. on July 26.

The Portland police officer who ignored a witness' report of a robbery in progress last week told his supervisor he was afraid of being late for court.

He was scheduled to appear, court records show, on a traffic ticket he'd issued.

East Precinct Officer Ryan Martinson, who disregarded the 1 p.m. downtown robbery on July 26, made it to Multnomah County Circuit Court for the 1:30 p.m. traffic court session.

He was there for the case of a Beaverton man he had cited two months earlier for allegedly driving while suspended, failing to carry vehicle registration and failing to show proof of insurance.

An internal affairs investigation is now underway into why Martinson, who was in uniform and in a marked patrol car when flagged down, didn't take any action when alerted to a felony in progress.

Martinson, 25, did not return a call for comment Thursday.

Although the police bureau has not released his name, other officers, speaking anonymously because they're not authorized to talk about the matter, confirmed that he is the one under investigation.

The officer's inaction has drawn swift reaction from other current and retired Portland police, who rarely criticize fellow officers. They have lit up social media sites with comments such as these:

"What a discredit to all of us who proudly wear the badge and do our duty every day";

"I can't understand how any cop could do that. It makes us all look bad."; and

"Simply get on the air and say something! Court can wait..."

On Thursday, a week after the incident, Acting Police Chief Larry O'Dea released a statement saying he was sorry the officer did not respond to the robbery. Chief Mike Reese was out of town Thursday, police said.

"When a community member asks for our help, especially in dangerous situations, I expect Portland police officers to do all they can to help," O'Dea said.

A member of the Portland Police Association will represent Martinson when he is interviewed by internal affairs. But as of Thursday, no interview had occurred.

"The expectation for us as Portland police officers is that we're on duty 24-7," said Officer Daryl Turner, union president. "If you see something that requires you to take action, you're expected to act. If you're not armed or in plainclothes, at least be a good witness and report it."

Rob Anderson, who works at a software company downtown, had stumbled into a robbery when he entered Central Drugs at Southwest Fourth Avenue and Alder Street to buy aspirin about 1 p.m. on July 26. He quickly retreated out of the store, and started dialing 9-1-1 as he walked east on Alder.

But when he saw a marked Portland patrol car halted in traffic ahead of him on Southwest Third Avenue, he ran up to the driver's side of the car and told the officer a robbery was happening a block away. Anderson said the officer told him he was off-duty, advised him to call 9-1-1 and drove off. The pharmacist and his technician ended up chasing after the suspect and holding him until police arrived.

Once the story was reported by The Oregonian, Martinson came forward and alerted his captain he was the officer involved. Martinson served as a Portland police cadet for four years before he joined the Police Bureau in January 2011. He had recently completed his probation and is assigned to East Precinct.

In the end, once Martinson made it to his court assignment July 26, the Beaverton motorist provided proof to the officer that his license had been reinstated and he was registered and insured.